In 1991, makeup artist Bobbi Brown established one of the best-known high-end makeup companies in the world. Her eponymous cosmetics brand began as a line of 10 lipsticks in subtle shades of beige and rose, a breakthrough concept in the 1980s. At the time, loud reds, pinks, and oranges reigned in popularity, but, wanting to provide an alternative to the theatrical shades, she decided to create more natural hues.
She built her empire on the very simple concept: to create a lip color that was natural instead of artificial and dramatic.
“Natural beauty wasn’t embraced in the 1980s like it is today,” Brown says from her home in Montclair, New Jersey. “Back then, people wanted to paint their faces in unnatural colors. I met a chemist who told me he’d make the product I envisioned — a creamy lipstick that stays on for a long time in colors that look like lips. I mixed a taupe eye pencil and a blush, sent the swatch to him, and he made it.”
In 1995, Brown sold her namesake company to Estée Lauder for an undisclosed amount, and in 2016, after nearly three decades as Chief Creative Officer, she left the company so that she could pursue ideas she had outside the makeup world, and to avoid the compromises she felt she was being asked to make for commercial interests. These included her blog and authoring books, which she’d been doing since 2007. By the time she left, she was a multimillionaire, and her brand was sold in over 70 countries.
“Transitions are hard,” she says of the days and weeks after leaving Bobbi Brown cosmetics in 2016. “The first few days I spent with friends, drinking tequila and talking. Then, I was like okay now what? I had no idea what my life would be like.”
After leaving, Brown became a certified health coach via the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She took her education there to help her formulate a supplements brand that, in 2019, she launched as Evolution 18, a line of 10 skin supplements that are designed to de-bloat, improve energy, sleep, balance gut flora, and enhance skin health from the inside.
"I believe beauty begins from within," Brown says. "My whole career, people would tell me about issues they were trying to fix with makeup. I would always find myself asking, “Do you drink enough water? What are you eating? How much do you exercise?” I always understood the connection between beauty and wellness.”
Brown already had some professional experience with nutritional supplements by the time she founded Evolution 18. In 2018, she landed a three-month deal with shopping network QVC to design and sell a range of supplements, including whey protein powder. Walmart took notice and approached Brown about introducing Evolution 18 into their stores.
Wanting to make Evolution 18 affordable, Brown decided to sell her supplements line at Walmart, where each product costs under $20. Not only does selling her products at Walmart make the brand more affordable, but it also markets her products to a massive consumer base: In 2019, the store attracted over 275 million people to its 4,000-plus brick-and-mortar and online stores.
Alongside Evolution 18, Brown launched a podcast called Beyond the Beauty, an extension of her commitment to educating on health and beauty from within, aligning with the goals of her brand. The podcast is available on iTunes free of charge. On it, Brown interviews experts in the fields of health, beauty, and lifestyle.
Some of her guests include celebrity trainer Harley Pasternak and Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx, who talks about messing up and still succeeding in business. Nutritionist Lauren Slayton also shows up to discuss eating under quarantine conditions. Ultimately, Brown’s podcast subjects represent the diversity of what wellness entails, as her own interest in beauty and wellness has only expanded with time and experience in the industry to recognize the holistic nature of being truly well. Brown recognizes that, in these challenging times, taking care of one’s health is extremely important, and she aims to use her podcast to give people tools so they can look out for themselves.
"It’s a really hard time right now," says Brown about the challenges we’re facing in 2020, including Covid. "Podcasts, blogs, and books are all really good channels to learn, listen, converse, and inspire. I use all of them and have really enjoyed listening to others’ stories and points of view during this time. It’s not a time to tune out. If you listen, you’ll learn something new. And knowledge is power — it helps you grow, succeed, and keeps you humble."
In April, Brown turned 63. To date, she’s a bestselling author of nine books who still has a billion-dollar beauty brand bearing her name, a podcast host, a public speaker, a certified health coach and the founder of a supplements brand that has been favorably reviewed in Harper’s Bazaar, Stylist, British Vogue, and InStyle.
Brown’s belief in herself and tenacity is inspirational for any would-be entrepreneur. She built her career on chutzpah and courage (and a phonebook). She listened to other women and created a product (“Brown” lipstick was her first natural-hued lipstick) that didn’t exist. She left a business when she felt she no longer had the creative control and autonomy she craved. All of these choices remind us that anything is possible, so long as we believe in ourselves, our vision, and work toward it, even in the midst of uncertainty, even when we don’t know whether or not we’ll succeed.
Cat Woods is a writer based in Melbourne, Australia. She has written for national and international news sites, and regularly writes on music and arts. She is also a qualified and practicing yoga, barre and Pilates teacher.
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